


An Unexpected Gift

by yarnandtea



Category: Dragon Age
Genre: F/M, Saturday Shorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-07
Updated: 2013-09-07
Packaged: 2017-12-25 20:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/957333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yarnandtea/pseuds/yarnandtea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marian comes to visit Bethany at Vigil's Keep, bringing her a wholly unintentional present.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unexpected Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Written for cheesiestart on Tumblr.

"Warden Hawke, you are needed!"

Bethany glanced up from her work to find a harried looking Seneschal Varel leaning in through the doorway, his hands gripping the sides of the frame so tightly his knuckles had gone white. He was panting heavily, and she realized he must have run all the way here. Hadn't he been in the main hall helping the commander? Damn. Something must be seriously wrong.

"How bad?" She was already standing and gathering supplies, reaching for the things she was likely to need regardless of the answer.

"Bad," Varel managed to get out. "Under normal circumstances, I'd say it's a lost cause. But in this case, I think we had better make every effort."

Bethany nodded in understanding, adding several lyrium potions to her kit and grabbing her staff as she followed Varel out of the infirmary. He did not lead her back down to the main hall, but instead turned for the guest wing. Knowing she'd get all the answers she needed when they arrived at their destination, she did not waste her breath with any further questions. She just quickened her pace to keep up with Varel.

He led her through an open door and she swept in behind him, moving straight to the man at the bed. She barely registered the presence of more people in the room as she began to examine her patient. He looked vaguely familiar, but she didn't bother trying to place his face. Names could come later.

If there was a later. Varel was right. The man was in a bad way. There was a long, deep gash across his torso, from one shoulder down across to the opposite hip. Maker, he was lucky he hadn't been eviscerated! Or maybe not, she thought grimly, as she cleaned the wound and looked more closely. It wasn't bleeding much now, but it was clear he had lost plenty of blood. The edges of the wound were reddened, and he was running a fever. Infection, then. On top of _that_ , she could see discoloration in the veins leading away from the wound. It was a symptom she recognized all too well.

"This man's been tainted," she whispered.

"Can he be saved?"

Bethany looked up with a start, meeting a very familiar set of green eyes.

"Fenris?" Belatedly, she glanced to the fifth person in the room, and her jaw dropped. " _Marian?_ "

"Hello, sister," Marian returned in a tired voice. Despite her clear concern for the man on the bed, there was the hint of a smile at the corner of her lips.

"What? How?" Bethany sputtered for a moment. Then the man on the bed moaned, calling her back to the job in front of her. She held up a hand and shook her head. "No, never mind. That can wait." She bent back over her patient and placed a hand lightly on his exposed chest, delving him with her magic. "Damn!" She frowned down at the wound.

"Is there no hope, then?" Varel sounded incredibly disappointed.

Bethany glanced at him in curiosity. Clearly this man had arrived with Marian and Fenris, she could understand their concern. But why was Varel so invested in the man's welfare? "In this case," he had said. What case was that, she wondered?

"If it was only the wound and the infection, I could probably save him," Bethany explained sadly. "But the taint has spread too far. I know of only one way to keep someone from dying of that."

She shot her sister a pointed look and Marian sighed in frustration.

"Oh, Maker, this is a disaster," Varel moaned behind her.

"Do it."

Three pairs of eyes swiveled to Fenris. He was staring down at the man on the bed, brow furrowed in thought. He looked up, meeting Bethany's eyes, conviction burning in his own.

"Young ser, I do not think you understand--" Varel began.

"Fenris, are you sure--" Marian tried at the same time.

"Do it," Fenris insisted again. His eyes never left Bethany's. "If Sebastian's choices are to die or to become a Warden, then this is what he would want. If he does not survive the joining, it will be no worse than if we did nothing."

Bethany nodded slowly. Sebastian. The name was familiar, Marian had mentioned him once or twice in her letters. She tried to remember the details. Something about being a Chantry Brother? Or maybe not. She clearly remembered descriptions of incidents in which Sebastian had fought at Marian's side.

Varel was looking from her to Fenris with a helpless expression. He glanced at Marian, as if hoping for help from that quarter, but she was nodding as well. She agreed with Fenris, it seemed. Varel sighed once more and then turned to Bethany, all business again.

"How long do we have?"

"The sooner, the better," Bethany answered, glancing down at Sebastian when he mumbled something incoherent. She ran a soothing head across his forehead and he subsided. "I will see to the wound and the infection. It might give him a better chance at surviving the joining."

"Very well. I will see to preparing the ritual. I will return shortly."

As he left, Bethany turned back to Sebastian and prepared a healing spell.

~~~

Sebastian survived the joining, but it had been a close thing. He did not wake up until almost a week after his arrival at the keep. The commander had been overheard wondering if this was the first time on record that a joining had been conducted while the participant was unconscious. Bethany remained by his side unless she was called away by other responsibilities. Marian and Fenris stayed with him as well. While they waited for Sebastian to come to again, she managed to get the story out of her sister. After everything that had happened in Kirkwall (and Bethany cursed herself again for skipping the mission that would have put her in the Free Marches to help when all of that had happened), Marian and Fenris had decided to try making a fresh start in Ferelden.

Sebastian had decided to accompany them to Amaranthine, where Marian wanted to visit Bethany, and then head on to Denerim. He was a prince of Starkhaven, Marian had explained, though an exiled one. He was hoping that perhaps King Alistair might be willing to agree to support his bid to reclaim his throne. They had been a few days out from Vigil's Keep when a group of darkspawn had ambushed them. Though they had dealt with the threat quickly, Sebastian had still managed to sustain the wound that had led to his joining. After that, Marian and Fenris had done everything they could to get Sebastian to the keep, hoping against hope that they would be in time to save him.

Bethany could scarcely believe their tale. A prince! No wonder Varel had been so fretful at the thought that he might die in their care. _And_ he was a former Brother of the Chantry, too. Bethany hadn't imagined that. Goodness. She wondered how he would fare in the wardens. Perhaps not so badly, she concluded. Marian and Fenris had recounted many of their escapades in the days of waiting, and it sounded as if Sebastian could more than hold his own in a fight. Though the newest warden was quite surprised to learn of his conscription when he finally woke up again, he seemed to take it in stride. Bethany had seen a twinkle of amusement in his eyes at the news, only just visible behind the resignation and acceptance of his new vocation.

Marian and Fenris had remained at the keep long enough to see Sebastian back on his feet again. But they had been growing antsy and eagerly moved on once they were sure their friend was truly well. Both approached Bethany and extracted promises to keep an eye on him. She agreed readily enough.

Sebastian settled in quickly to life as a warden. If he regretted the lost opportunity to reclaim Starkhaven, he said not a word of it to anyone. If anything, he seemed quite happy with his new life. He spent most of his time working with the archers, and had proved invaluable to more than one patrol. But he also made a special effort to visit with Bethany each day. She guessed that she was the closest thing he had to the home he had been building in Kirkwall. He talked about it sometimes, about the Revered Mother who had died in the Chantry explosion, but he clearly preferred not to dwell on it.

Bethany was amused that he seemed to have no conflict at all befriending an apostate, despite his strong faith. She asked him about it one evening as they walked through the gardens.

"You are a warden," he had said with a shrug, as if that explained everything.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Not to mention, you are a fascinating woman, Bethany Hawke," Sebastian observed with a smile. "So much like your sister one moment, and absolutely nothing like her the next." He fell silent, and his fingers brushed against hers as they walked. It could have been intentional, or merely an accident. Either way, it sent a thrill rushing through her body. A second thrill followed when Sebastian added, softly, "I am quite glad of the opportunity to make your acquaintance."

"So am I," she answered. She was suddenly glad for the failing light, knowing that it would hide the blush rising in her cheeks.

Just like Marian and nothing like her at the same time. It was, without a doubt, the strangest compliment she had ever received. She found she rather liked it. If she was being honest, she found she rather liked _him_.

_I must remember to send Marian a gift_ , she thought to herself. _Something to thank her for coming to visit me. After all, she left me the most wonderful present, even if that wasn't her intention._

Bethany reached for Sebastian's hand, smiling when he linked his fingers through hers.


End file.
